WINERY PROFILES

In the spirit of the great wine producers of the southern Rhone and the bodegas of Rioja and Priorat, blending is what Villa Creek does best. The area's finest Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Tempranillo Vineyards are just a stone's throw from the west Paso Robles winery where these blends are lovingly produced by winemaker Cris Cherry and his wife JoAnn.

All great wine begins with a passionate farmer. The grapes of the area's most progressive vineyards, James Berry, Denner, Ohana and Booker, currently grace the wines of Villa Creek Cellars. Per acre contracts insure that the fruit comes off the same blocks each vintage. The Cherry's own 70 acre estate on the west side of Paso Robles boasts elevations of 1400-1800 feet, calcareous soils, south facing slopes and ample water. Grape growing conditions don't get much better. In the spring of 2012, the Cherry's finished planting their first grape vines, 3.5 acres of Grenache. They look forward to planting Mourvèdre and Carignan in the months to come.

Vines are carefully monitored at the end of the growing season. Heat spikes are not uncommon late in the season. Those with patience are rewarded with cool nights and warm days that allow the grapes to slowly finish the ripening process, complex flavors and textures developing along the way.

Delicious, complex, fruit forward wines that express the climate and terroir of Paso Robles are what Villa Creek is known for. Villa Creek Cellars recognizes the traditions of the old world while embracing technological advances of the new. Sorting tables are used pre and post destemming to ensure that all wines begin with clean fruit. Whole cluster fermentations add texture and terroir with a nod to tradition. Fermentations are slow and natural. Careful blending insures the creation of complex, well rounded wines.